News

Popular GM locos entered traffic 40 years ago. THE 18-strong General Motors-built 071 Class entered revenue earning traffic 40 years ago in 1977. On May 23 that year, No. 082 was the first to begin to recoup Coras Iompair Eireann’s investment, while No. 088 was the final one on July 6. Last year’s events to…

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THE final four Class 70s on order for Colas Rail arrived in the UK early on April 18, Nos. 70814-17 being unloaded from the Atlantic Cartier at Seaforth, Liverpool, later that day. Initially left on their transport trailers, the quartet were eventually craned off and railed on April 24, the same day as they were…

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The retailer has shown off images of its upcoming exclusive Class 121 single-car units. APRIL saw Hattons release the first images of its exclusive batch of limited edition Class 121 ‘bubble cars’, the ‘OO’ gauge models being produced by Dapol. These were actually the first view of the upcoming single-car DMU, the manufacturer having previously…

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The proposed BML2 scheme offers more than just reopening Uckfield to Lewes, with wider benefits at both the London and Brighton ends. Government funding has been ruled out for the foreseeable future – but, as Robin Whitlock describes, there is much in the plan that deserves serious consideration. IN January 2015, The Daily Telegraph reported…

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The first of the five-car, bi-mode Class 802 fleet for Great Western Railway is on its way to the UK. The trains are destined for use on its West of England services to Devon and Cornwall, and are similar to the Class 800 bi-modes now being built at Hitachi’s plant in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham.…

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The Lisburn/Lurgan Ballast Rehabilitation Project (see last issue) continued during the period under review, the six-week project between Lisburn and Moira running from February 14 to March 25. The used ballast, which was removed using the hired-in 13-wagon Irish Rail spoil train, has been unloaded by an excavator at a site adjacent to the closed…

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Another NIR DEMU vehicle has succumbed to the cutter’s torch. THE number of DEMU vehicles on Northern Ireland Railways’ books has once again been reduced, with the scrapping of Motor Coach No. 8094 on March 11. The yellow-liveried Sandite vehicle had been stored unserviceable at York Road, Belfast, after proving to be problematic during the…

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Pre-Grouping coaches leave the North East for a new life in Kent. THREE Pullman coaches that have been a feature of the seafront at Seaburn, near Sunderland, have been moved after more than 30 years. Padua, Rosalind and Sapphire arrived in Seaburn in 1988 to form part of the Puffin’ Billy Hotel & Restaurant, which…

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For the third month running, it is Railway Support Services that is providing the pick of shunter developments. OF the various shunter hire operations, Railway Support Services has been by far the most proactive in picking up the pieces left by the demise of the DB Cargo shunter fleet. March continued the trend seen over…

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The first ‘Electrostars’ reach Didcot on training runs. EMU driver training between Reading and Didcot began on March 20, No. 387140 seeing use on the first day and No. 387133 two days later. The ‘Electrostars’ should begin passenger operations on the line later in the year. After a spell at Reading Traincare Depot for training, Nos.…

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